End-user premises such as residences or other buildings (or parts thereof) can be equipped with various pieces of equipment, including phones, computers, alarm system devices and/or other devices (e.g., television units), which can be used to effect telephone calls, accesses to data network sites (e.g., websites), alarm system communications, and/or other communications (e.g., television signals, etc.).
Communications effected by end-user equipment at a given end-user premise take place over a communication link, such as a metallic twisted-pair cable, a coaxial cable, an optic fiber cable, or a wireless link, which reaches the given end-user premise and connects the end-user equipment to a communications network. In some situations, an ability of the end-user equipment to communicate via the communication link can be disrupted. For example, in some cases, the communication link can be disrupted, for instance, due to a cut or other physical damage inflicted (accidentally or maliciously) to the communication link or to any other condition preventing the communication link from operating normally. In other cases, software and/or hardware (e.g., a modem) of the end-user equipment used by the end-user equipment to effect communications via the communication link can be disrupted, for instance, due to a defective or inoperative component. In such situations, it may no longer be possible for the end-user equipment to effect telephone calls, accesses to data network sites, alarm system communications, and/or other communications via the communication link. For certain communications, such as important or emergency phone calls (e.g., “911” calls) or alarm system communications potentially indicative of undesirable events (e.g., an intrusion or a fire at the end-user premise), this difficulty or impossibility to communicate via the communication link may have negative, and in some cases, harmful or fatal consequences.
Accordingly, there exists a need for solutions enabling end-user equipment at an end-user premise to effect telephone calls, accesses to data network sites, alarm system communications, and/or other communications having certain destinations when an ability of the end-user equipment to communicate via a communication link connecting the end-user equipment to a communications network is disrupted.